Surgeons burial pit discovered ( civil war)

[Tnmountains]

civil-war-battlefield-discovery-surgeons-burial-pit-reveals-soldiers-remains-amputated-limbs.html

 

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[Peyton Manning]

thank you, that's very humbling

 

[Tnmountains]

thank you, that's very humbling

When ever I dig an enfield I always imagine the force of those big lead bullets. I am sure it was like getting hit by a truck. The buckshot was probably buck and ball one round ball and three pieces of heavy buck shot the rebels used because they were shooting outdated smooth bores. Tragic times for sure.

 

[Peyton Manning]

as a lifelong medical wienie I cannot even imagine going through that

 

[fyrffytr1]

Thanks for the post, I wonder how the site was first discovered?

 

[ToddsPoint]

I go to the American Civil War Talk forum a lot. I've seen pics of piles of legs, arms, hands and feet after a battle. If the bone was shattered the limb was amputated. That was one real bad war. Gary

 

[BLK HOLE]

Initial discovery was almost 3 years ago when a utility company was digging and found the bone fragments, NPS just got around to the full exvacation

Thanks for the post, I wonder how the site was first discovered?

 

[Davers]

as a lifelong medical wienie I cannot even imagine going through that

Perfect self description Jeff . lol

 

[Davers]

civil-war-battlefield-discovery-surgeons-burial-pit-reveals-soldiers-remains-amputated-limbs.html

Thanks for the link Tnm.

I often wonder about the fired bullets I find around Skirmish sites.

I wonder also if , It was a Confederate Field Hospital , as whole bodies were thrown into a "Limb" pit.

Glad they are to be honored in Arlington later in the Summer .

 

[Tnmountains]

Thanks for the link Tnm.

I often wonder about the fired bullets I find around Skirmish sites.

I wonder also if , It was a Confederate Field Hospital , as whole bodies were thrown into a "Limb" pit.

Glad they are to be honored in Arlington later in the Summer .

My guess is Union as the bones had enfields in them. Enfields were used by the confederacy mostly in smooth bore barrels. We still have mass burials here with a single marker saying 21 confederate soldiers buried here. It will still be a mound. Many times locals were left to bury Confederate soldiers. Arlington was Robert E Lees home place and why they put the cemetery there. So doubtful that confederates from that war make it to Arlington.....
Not aware it was an old article from NPR.
Somewhere I have the diary accounts of a train wreck with confederate soldiers between Chattanooga and Cleveland,Tn. Many were killed and buried along the tracks.We put forth an effort once to find it as it is only 30 miles of track. We hoped to get the remains into a confederate cemetery located at an old location named Tyner station. May be a noble task for new hunters to find the wreck site. We looked for an area full of iron pieces from the cars. 90% of confederate records were destroyed so many burials are lost.

 

[Davers]

I can see your point , I just could not imagine a Union soldier throwing a fellow Soldiers body in with arms / legs etc.

They could have had Slaves or Black Men doing that sort of work.

I know it was mostly Black Men who were involved in the recovery & re-burial of Battlefield & temporary Graves.

There are a bunch of 'Unknown' Confederates in one Grave at the Marietta GA Confederate Cemetery.

That would be nice to find the site or the Train crash..

Is that 'spur' still in use? 'Or length of RR Track I should say.

 

[Tnmountains]

I can see your point , I just could not imagine a Union soldier throwing a fellow Soldiers body in with arms / legs etc.

They could have had Slaves or Black Men doing that sort of work.

I know it was mostly Black Men who were involved in the recovery & re-burial of Battlefield & temporary Graves.

There are a bunch of 'Unknown' Confederates in one Grave at the Marietta GA Confederate Cemetery.

That would be nice to find the site or the Train crash..

Is that 'spur' still in use? 'Or length of RR Track I should say.

Yes it is a good treasure hunt waiting to be found. The original tracks are shown in the Civil War atlas. Google earth confirms the tracks to the hospital in Cleveland.
News paper accounts documented the train crashing coming off a hill. Not that many steep grades between here and there. So its possible to find the graves maybe get a marker or have them moved.
On body parts depending of the time of the year if summer you had to bury quick. War was brutal and stinky. Look at how long we waited to let Union wagons into Chickamauga to recover their dead. It was days.. plus you had people following the war and robing the dead at night.
In my families letters a son was wounded in Virginia and the dad and brother got there right before he died. They were advised to bury him now and return in winter to bring him home. This was all in a letter written to his wife telling her that after much suffering and pain he is dead and what they advised.
I need to post up copies of the letters as I need help with some of the ole english and script.
Each generation we loose a little more history and become less interested.

 

[Davers]

A great reply.

Good info , & nice but sad story.

Reading them old letters can be hard these days , their cursive was very distinctive ( better than many peoples writing these days) , heck they don't even teach cursive in Most schools anymore ,more history to be forgotten cause future peoples can not read it .

It would be a worthy cause to find the site of the wreck tho, I'm surprised nobody has ever found it.

Enjoy your Independence Day.